On Thursday afternoon, the entirety of EuroAirport Basel was evacuated for security reasons, which later turned out to be a bomb threat. The incident is the fourth time the Swiss airport has had to be evacuated in just one week. Authorities at the airport gave the all-clear for passengers to return and for flights to resume at 4.45pm on October 26.
At almost exactly 1pm on October 26, alarms rang out at EuroAirport Basel, with officials telling passengers to immediately evacuate the terminal building. BVB, the local public transport provider, confirmed that bus services between Basel and the airport had been suspended for the time being due to an operation by police.
It was later confirmed by the airport that the terminal was evacuated due to a “bomb threat.” Passengers were barred from reentering the building until the emergency services operation was concluded, with the source of the threat yet to be disclosed.
Hundreds of passengers were pictured waiting outside the airport, with flight services to and from Basel being heavily disrupted. As of 4.45pm on October 26, operations at the airport have resumed, with passengers now invited to return to the airport.
However, the knock-on effects from the closure, in the form of delayed and cancelled flights, are expected to continue. Travellers affected are encouraged to contact their airline for further information and to expect cancelled and delayed flights.
The events on Thursday mark the fourth time in one week that the airport has had to be evacuated for security and safety reasons, with credible bomb threats declared on October 19, 20, 24 and 26 - though at the time of writing, they have all turned out to be false alarms.
Speaking to 20 Minuten last Thursday, French authorities said that they condemned the “malicious threat in the strongest terms” and said they would do all they could to make sure those making the threats are brought to justice.
Passengers affected can stay updated on the situation using the Basel Airport website.
Thumb image credit: Ryan Gelpke